Thermoactuated diffusion control in soft matter nanofluidic devices
Journal article, 2008

The diffusive transport rate in a soft matter nanofluidic device is controlled with a thermoactuated hydrogel valve. The device consists of three giant unilamellar vesicles linearly conjugated by lipid nanotubes, with a solution of the stimuli-responsive polymer poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm) in the central vesicle. The valve states "high (transport) rate" and "low (transport) rate" are obtained by heat-activated switching between PNIPAAm's dissolved and compact aggregated states. We show that three parameters influence the diffusion rate within the device: the increase of the transport rate caused by a decrease in PNIPAAm concentration upon compaction, the temperature dependence of the buffer viscosity, and the volume excluded by the PNIPAAm hydrogel compartment. © 2008 American Chemical Society.

Author

Martin Markstrom

Chalmers

Ludvig Lizana

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Physical Chemistry

Owe Orwar

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Physical Chemistry

Aldo Jesorka

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Physical Chemistry

Langmuir

07437463 (ISSN) 15205827 (eISSN)

Vol. 24 9 5166-5171

Subject Categories

Chemical Sciences

DOI

10.1021/la7035967

More information

Latest update

9/10/2018